Where and when to find cheap eats and drinks in Sacramento.

October 24, 2012

Daily Dining News: More on Enotria's Excellence

Sac Bee restaurant critic Blair Anthony Robertson gave Enotria a glowing review over the weekend, but there wasn't enough space in the newspaper for him to adequately gush about the restaurant. So he took to the paper's appetizers blog.

While my review sought to capture the essence of the tremendous food and wine experiences available at Enotria, I was unable to go into as much detail as many of our serious foodie readers would like. In the blog format, we're not killing trees and we're not as confined by space limitations. So here goes. By the way, the menu will soon be changing, with a wider range of options, courses and price points.

First, we'll start with some of elements of Bruich's finest dishes and his thoughts on creating a menu that is at once challenging and accommodating, accessible yet adventurous. Some of his dishes, like the pork belly, started out as one thing and, when that didn't work, became something else. In fact, Bruich says the original idea for the pork belly dish with pickled peaches was to do something highlighting a bacon custard, only to realize it didn't have enough substance to hold up as a full course in a dinner setting. So he went from there....

Then there's Edward Martinez, the pastry chef who recently left a starring role at Hawks in Granite Bay to join Bruich at Enotria and start dreaming up some impressively cutting-edge creations. He's also handling the bread program, which features individual-sized boules of pretzel bread, pain au lait and bacon challah. The breads remind me of what they're doing at Michelin one-star Sons & Daughters in San Francisco, only there the breads are trickled out one at a time throughout dinner, almost like a playful interlude between courses. At Enotria, the breads are served all at once in an attractive metal holder. I was curious about the pretzel bread. Turns out, Martinez is poaching the dough in beer. Right now, it's the high-end (and pricy) Allagash, "but I'm still trying to figure out the right beer. I want a more malty flavor," Martinez said.

Negril Island BBQ opens in midtown - The restaurant space at 2502 J St. in midtown has seen its share of turnover during the last couple years, being the former home of My BBQ Spot and Luck's BBQ. But, the smoke rises there once again with the recent opening of Negril Island BBQ. This eatery specializes in "spice oriented Caribbean food," said owner Cleve Geddes, with such offerings as jerk chicken, jerk ribs, smoked fish, spicy sausages plus sides of beans and rice, and more. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Townhouse Lounge foreclosed, sold at auction - Last week Townhouse Lounge owner Desmond “Desi” Reynoso said he would have to close his business because the landlord was raising the rent –– but county records appear to tell a different, or at least more complex story. Until recently, Reynoso – who said he goes by Desi David – was his own landlord. Sacramento County Assessor’s Office records records show he was one of the owners who took control of the property on July 17, 2003, but the building housing the business was foreclosed on and sold at auction this month. Brandon Darnell in Sac Press.

Feeding Crane Farms shows that humans could learn something from cranes - If people started eating a little more like cranes, nature and the economy might be a little better off for it. This is what prompted the naming of Feeding Crane Farms, a small farming operation with a big vision that sits along a bird grove on the East Levee Corridor in Natomas. “Cranes are a really wonderful example of what we’re doing with Feeding Crane Farms,” says general manager Shannin Stein. “Cranes eat locally, they eat seasonally. Jenn Walker in Submerge Mag.

Study: Facebook fan engagement surges for restaurants in 3Q - The number of people liking and sharing Facebook posts from restaurants saw explosive growth in the third quarter — a result of brands focusing on engagement rather than gaining fans, a new study found. Mark Brandau in Nation's Restaurant News.

Drewski's Food Truck - Mark was joined live by Drewski's food truck, and told us how they are helping to rebuild McKinley Park! Mark S. Allen on Good Day Sac.